Lightweight versatile saddle



April 4, 1967 c. NUZZO 3,312,040

LIGHTWEIGHT VER SATILE SADDLE Filed March 25, 1965 I NVEN TOR. @JHAQLES M0220 fort to the rider and horse.

United States Patent 015 ice 3,3 12,040 Patented Apr. 4, 1967 3,312,040 LIGHTWEIGHT VERSATILE SADDLE Charles Nuzzo, 1604- Westmont Drive, Alhambra, Calif. 91803 Filed Mar. 25, 1965, Ser. No. 442,704 Claims. (Cl. 5444) The present invention relates to 'a lightweight saddle, and more particularly to a lightweight saddle which is inexpensive and which, upon cinching, will conform to the shape of the horse without discomfort to the horse, and will remain secure during hard riding.

In the construction of saddles, significant factors are safety to the rider, weight of the saddle, cost, and com- It is of interest to note that saddle pads have long been used and that they satisfy many, but not all, of the above requirements. These saddle pads, which are often used in exercising the horse in a walk, are light in weight, are very economical and are quite comfortable to the horse. However, and significantly, the saddle pad is not securely held on the horse, so that during hard riding it would slide off of the horse, 'and is therefore not safe to use under such conditions.

Attempts have been made to utilize the advantages of the saddle pad, while obviating the noted disadvantage of it, by providing a cinch means for securing the saddle pad to the horse. An example of this is the so called bareback" construction, which provides a shaped pad and a strap which extends over the top of the pad and around the body of the horse. While this construction is less likely to slide or fall off of the horse than the ordinary saddle pad, it is nevertheless not satisfactory for use during ha-rd riding, as under those conditions even that construction will slip off of the horse.

Another attempt to provide 'all of the above noted desirable feature, including particularly lightness and security, has been the Well known English saddle which is cinched tightly to the horse and includes a rigid saddle-bow at the front portion thereof which generally conforms to the horse at and downwardly of the spine and the adjacent regions. However, the English saddle while safe and comfortable, is relatively heavy and expensive. For example, the English saddle is too heavy for children to handle.

An object of the persent invention is to provide a saddle which, in addition to being safe and light, will be inexpensive and cornortable to horse and rider.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a saddle which may be accommodated to horses of various sizes, and will not slide upon hard riding.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a saddle including a saddle-bow, which saddle will be both safe and comfortable.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated 'as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a saddle in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the saddle of FIG. 1, as positioned on a horse, and with parts broken 'away;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the saddle taken along the plane III-III of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a saddle-bow forming a part of the saddle of FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawing, wherein like reference numerals designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown in FIG. 1 'a saddle including a seat 10, a pair of skirts 12, cinch straps 21, a cinch 28 and stirrups 30. The saddle also includes a bowed handle 20.

The construction of the saddle is such that the front portion of the seat 10 is relatively narrow, the seat en- Iarging toward the rear to provide a relatively larger rear portion. By thus shaping the seat, the majority of the weight of the rider will be on the enlarged rear portion, while his legs will have the desired freedom of movement adjacent the narrow front portion.

Referring now to FIG. 3, the seat 10 comprises a relatively fiat pad or cushion 10a disposed between a relatively wide top covering 101) and a relatively narrow bottom covering 10c, it being understood that the top covering 10b is generally similar in shape to the bottom covering 100, but being somewhat larger than bottom covering 100. The two skirts 12 are attached adjacent their upper ends to the sides of the seat, as shown in FIG. 1, the particular construction being shown in FIG. 3 wherein the uppermost portion of each skirt 12 is stitched to a side margin of the bottom covering 10c and a laterally and downwardly spaced portion of each skirt 12 is stitched to the lateral side of top covering 10b. These lines of stitching, with the construction shown, will secure the cushion 10a in position. While the construction shown in FIG. 3 is preferred, it will be understood that by making the bottom covering 10c somewhat larger, the skirts 12 may be held between the top covering 10b and the bottom covering 10c by one or more rows of stitching, each of which extends through all three thicknesses of material. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the front edge of the top covering 10b may be rolled about the bottom covering 160 so as to provide a smooth 'and pleasing appearance. Seat cushion 10a may be of any soft, pliable material such as felt, polyfoam or rubberized horsehair; top and bottom coverings 10b and may be constructed of any durable and pliable material such as leather, vinyl or the like, or canvas. Hence, seat 10 will be pliable, relatively soft, cornformable to the shape of the horse, and comfortable to horse and rider. The skirts 12 may be of material similar to the top covering 10b and bottom covering 10c.

An extra piece of cushioning material may be added to the seat 10 at the rear portion thereof, whereby the rear seat portion will have the appearance of an cantle. This may be seen in FIGS. 1' and 2. Also in FIG. 2, it may be seen that the saddle may be mounted upon the horse directly behind the withers, so that the front portion of the seat will be raised to thereby give the appearance of a pommel.

A pad 14 of felt or other soft, pliable and absorbent material is provided below the seat 10, being attached to the underside thereof by stitching 15. Pad 14 extends inwardly of the upper part of each of the skirts 12, the preferred shape of the pad 14 being clearly shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Desirably, the front edge of the pad 14 is stitched to the front portion of seat 10 and the front edges of the skirts 12. The pad 14 serves as a cushioning element for the seat 10 and the skirts 12, and in particular for the saddle-bow.

The saddle-bow is provided by the resilient bar 16, shown in FIG. 4. Bar 16 is made of metal, such as spring steel, and is generally rectangular in transverse cross section. Bar 16 has an upper arched portion 16a with downwardly and outwardly extending legs 16b, the upper ends of which may be straight and the lower portions of which may be slightly outwardly bent. This shape conforms generally to the transverse shape of the back of the horse immediately behind the withers. The free ends of the legs 16b each has an integral loop 16c, and in each loop 16c there is a ring 17 and a relatively smaller, square ring 18, the functions of which will be set forth below.

Bar 16 is incorporated into the saddle as best shown in FIG. 3, wherein it will be seen that bar 16 extends transversely beneath the seat and within the skirts 12. Suitable securing means, such as rivets 19, secure the bar 16 to the skirts 12, and thereby to the seat 10. A hand hold 20 is secured to the saddle by the same rivets 19, hand hold 20 preferably being a strip of relatively hard leather, or of a suitable arched, rigid element covered with leather. As will be understood from FIG. 3, the pad 14 lies inwardly and below the bar 16, to thereby provide cushioning of the horse against the hardness of bar 16.

The bar 16 is utilized to secure the saddle in place on the horse, in cooperation with cinch straps 21 which extend through the rings 17, a cinch 22 being releasably connected to the lower ends of the cinch strap 21, as by a conventional buckle arrangement.

In use, the bar 16 will flex sufficiently to generally conform to the back of a horse, when the cinch straps 21 and cinch 22 are positioned and tightened, and this will be true for a wide range of size and shapes of horses, it being understood that each animal is somewhat different from each other animal. The resiliency of the bar 16 provides for and permits conformity, and the result obtained is that the saddle is securely held upon the horse, and will remain so even during hard riding.

Because the resilient bar 16 extends not only over the back of the horse, but somewhat downwardly, pressure will be distributed over a relatively wide area, and this, together with the provision of pad 14, results in relatively great comfort to the horse.

Each skirt 12 is provided with a cut or slot 12a slightly below the loops 16c, and the square rings 18 each extend through a skirt 12 at this point; passing through each square ring 18 is a stirrup strap 30, each stirrup strap 30 having a stirrup 30a at the lower end thereof. A small flap 32 extends over the cut or slot 12a, and thereby over the ring 18 and the upper portion of strap 30, as clearly shown in FIG. 3, in order to prevent undue rubbing of these parts against the leg of the rider. When some or all of the weight of the rider is placed upon one or both of thestirrups 30a, the force will be transmitted to the bar 16 and thence to the back of the horse. Due to the resilient nature of the bar 16, a relatively distributed pressure will be transmitted to the horse, to thereby avoid discomfort.

There has been provided a saddle which is light in weight and which is secure, being firmly held upon the back of the horse and safe against sliding or rotating from the back of the horse, even under hard riding conditions. Further, the saddle herein provided is very light in weight, and may be readily handled by children. It is comfortable, due to the construction and the materials of which it is made Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. A saddle comprising a seat of pliable material, a pair of skirts each attached adjacent its upper end to a side of said seat, a resilient bar extending transversely beneath said seat and Within said skirts and having an upper arched portion and a pair of downwardly and outwardly extending legs adjacent said arched portion, said legs each having a free end with a loop therein, means securing said bar to said skirts, cinch means connected to said legs comprising a ring in each said loop, a pair of cinch straps each extending through a said ring, a cinch, means for releasably connecting said cinch to each said cinch strap, a second ring in each loop, stirrup means connected to each said second ring, passage means in said skirts adjacent said second rings, said second rings extending through said passage means to thereby position said stirrup means outwardly of said skirts, and cushioning means inwardly and below said bar and extending beneath said seat and adjacent the inside of the upper part of each said skirt.

2. The saddle of claim 1, and a hand hold secured to said saddle.

3. The saddle of claim 1, said seat comprising top and bottom coverings, a cushion between said coverings, and means joining said coverings and said skirts.

4. A saddle comprising a seat of pliable material, a pair of skirts each attached adjacent its upper end to a side of said seat, a resilient bar extending transversely beneath said seat and within said skirts and having an upper arched portion and a pair of downwardly and outwardly extending legs adjacent said arched portion, said legs each having a free end with a loop therein, means securing said bar in said position, cinch means connected to said legs comprising a ring in each said loop, a pair of cinch straps each extending through a said ring, a cinch, means for releasably connecting said cinch to each said cinch strap, a second ring in each loop, stirrup means connected to each said second ring, passage means in said skirts adjacent said second rings, said second rings extending through said passage means to thereby position said stirrup means outwardly of said skirts, and cushioning means inwardly and below said bar and extending beneath said seat and adjacent the inside of the upper part of each said skirt.

5. A saddle comprising a seat of pliable material, a pair of skirts each attached adjacent its upper end to a side of said seat, a resilient bar extending transversely beneath said seat and within said skirts and having an upper arched portion and a pair of downwardly and outwardly extending legs adjacent said arched portion, said legs each having a free end with a loop therein, means securing said bar in said position, cinch means connected to said legs comprising a ring in each said loop, a pair of cinch straps each extending through a said ring, a cinch, means for releasably connecting said cinch to each said cinch strap, a second ring in each loop, stirrup means connected to each said second ring, and cushioning means inwardly and below said bar and extending beneath said seat and adjacent the inside of the upper part of each said skirt.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 809,179 l/l906 Fontaine 54-46 2,008,548 7/1935 Greene 5444 2,285,869 6/1942 Padgitt 54-44 FOREIGN PATENTS 184,068 8/1922 Great Britain.

625,934 7/ 1949 Great Britain.

SAMUEL KOREN, Primary Examiner.

HUGH R. CHAMBLEE, Examiner. 

5. A SADDLE COMPRISING A SEAT OF PLIABLE MATERIAL, A PAIR OF SKIRTS EACH ATTACHED ADJACENT ITS UPPER END TO A SIDE OF SAID SEAT, A RESILIENT BAR EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY BENEATH SAID SEAT AND WITHIN SAID SKIRTS AND HAVING AN UPPER ARCHED PORTION AND A PAIR OF DOWNWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY EXTENDING LEGS ADJACENT SAID ARCHED PORTION, SAID LEGS EACH HAVING A FREE END WITH A LOOP THEREIN, MEANS SECURING SAID BAR IN SAID POSITION, CINCH MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID LEGS COMPRISING A RING IN EACH SAID LOOP, A PAIR OF CINCH STRAPS EACH EXTENDING THROUGH A SAID RING, A CINCH, MEANS FOR RELEASABLY CONNECTING SAID CINCH TO EACH SAID CINCH STRAP, A SECOND RING IN EACH LOOP, STIRRUP MEANS CONNECTED TO EACH SAID SECOND RING, AND CUSHIONING MEANS INWARDLY AND BELOW SAID BAR AND EXTENDING BENEATH SAID SEAT AND ADJACENT THE INSIDE OF THE UPPER PART OF EACH SAID SKIRT. 